Collar clasp



July 18, 1933. w R. R ER 1,918,275

COLLAR CLASP Filed April 14, 1932 A TTORNEYS.

Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES WARREN R. LAB/TEE, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JER EY COLLAR CLASP Application filed April 14,

This invention relates in general to clasps, and more particularly to clasps for holding the ends of a soft collar in proper position with relation to a necktie.

()ne object of the invention is to provide such a clasp which shall be small, light in weight, and comprise a minimum of metal, and yet be strong and durable so as to firmly grip the ends of a collar to hold them in 19 proper position and prevent loss or displacement of the clasp.

Further objects are to provide such a clasp comprising a main bar and a spring clamping bar secured thereto and embodying novel and improved features of construction whereby the main bar may be made of considerable size or bulk for ease in handling with a minimum of material, and the clamping bar may be made of'light spring metal;

and thus to provide such a clasp wherein the main bar is formed of sheet metal and the central portion of the clamping bar is parallel to and in contact with the main bar for substantial parts of the lengths of said bars,

the main bar having longitudinal edge portions intermediate its ends bent inwardly tightly over said central portion of the clamping bar throughout the length of said central portion to secure the latter on the main bar, whereby the central portions of the main bar and the clamping bar mutually reenforce each other to provide adequate rigidity of the main bar and sufficient olamping resiliency of the clamping bar.

Other objects are to provide a clasp of this character wherein the end portions of the main bar are curved toward the ends of the clamping bar and the central portions of the two bars are curved reversely to the ends of the main bar to further reenforce the clasp and provide a clearance for the knot of a necktie; to provide a soft collar clasp comprising a hollow main bar which shall be light in weight, and a spring clamping bar having its central portions secured within said main bar, the main bar having openings in one wall through which project the end portions of the clamping bar, and the extremities of the clamping bar being disposed in opposed clamping relation to the 1932. Serial No. 605,234.

end portions of the main bar; to provide such a clasp which shall be simple and inexpensive, strong and durable; and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in which corresponding and like parts are designated throughout the several views byv the same reference characters, I

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a soft collar clasp embodying my invention, showing it applied to a collar;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view through the clasp;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the clasp in use; I

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one end of the main bar, showing the same in course of manufacture, and I Figure 6 is a similar View, showing the main bar completed and the clamping bar secured thereto.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the clasp includes a, main bar A and a spring clamping bar B secured to the back thereof. The main bar A is preferably hollow and thin-walled no that it has considerable bulk for ease in ha jdling with a minimum of material and weig' t.

The spring clamping bar B has a central portion 1 which is fixedly secured within the main bar A, and end portions 2 which project outwardly through openings 3 in the wall of the main bar in offset relation to the central portion 1 and in opposed clamping relation to the end portions 4 of the main bar. Preferably the end portions 2 of the clamping bar are sinuous or curved and their extremities 5 are deflected away from the ends 4 of the main bar to facilitate the insertion of the edges C of a collar or the likebetween the ends of the clamping bar and the main bar.

Preferably the main bar A is formed of sheet metal bent to form a front wall 6, side walls 7, end walls 8 and a back wall 9. The edges of the sheet disposed in abutting relation on the back of the main bar, as indicated at 10. The central portion 1 of the;

clamping bar B is parallel to and in contact with the central portion of the main bar for approximately a third part of the lengths of said bars, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and the edge portions of the main bar intermediate their ends are bent inwardly and tightly over the central portion 1 of the clamping bar to secure the clamping bar on the main bar; and said edge portions of the sheet of which the main bar is formed have notches 11 which form openings through which project the end portions 2 of the clamping bar. The back and front walls of the main bar diverge outwardly from each other from the ends of the central portion of the clamping bar. If desired, the abutting edge portions of the sheet of which the main bar is formed, may be soldered to provide a neat appearance.

Vith this construction, it will be observed that the central portions of the main bar and the clamping bar effectually reenfor'ce each other where the greatest strains are imposed upon the clasp; In other words, in the application and removal of the clasp to and from a collar, the strains on the clasp tend to bend it at its middle portion, and these strains are resisted by the combined action of the clamping bar and the main bar,

Preferably the ends of the main bar are curved toward the ends of the clamping bar, and the central portions of the two bars are curved in their own planes, as indicated at 12, toward the back of the clasp and reversely to the curvature of the ends of the main bar. This reverse curvature of the bars further increases the rigidity of the clasp, and also provides a clearance for the knot D of a necktie, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

, The use of the device will be clear from the foregoing, the ends C of a collar to be held by the clasp being inserted between the extremities of the clampingjbar and the end portions of the main bar, the end portions of the clamping bar being sprung away from the main bar, as shown in Figure 3. The resil iencyof the clamping bar will eii'ectually hold the ends of the collar in proper position and also prevent displacement of the clasp from the collar. The hollow thinwalled construction of the main bar and the light clamping bar make the clasp extremely light in weight, and at the same time the manner of connecting the clamping bar to the main bar, and the particular formation of the main bar provide adequate rigidity in the end portion of the clasp. The clamping bar is securely held to the main bar close to the extremities of the clamping bar and the end portions 2 are ofi'set at the ends of the central portion 1 away from the main bar and are then returned toward and into opposed clamping relation to the ends of the 05 main bar, so that great strength and resiliency in the clamping extremities of the clamping bar are provided with a minimum of metal in the bar.

lVhile I have shown and described the in vention as embodied in certain details of construction, it should be understood that this is primarily for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, and that many modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

l. A soft collar clasp, comprising a main bar formed of sheet metal and a spring clamping bar on the back thereof having a central portion parallel to and in contact with said main bar for approximately onethird of the length of said bars, said main bar having longitudinal edge portions intermediate its ends bent inwardly tightly over said central portion of said clamping bar throughout the length of said central portion to secure the latter on said main bar, the central portions of the main bar and the clamp ing bar being curved in their own planes toward the back of the clasp and the end portions of said clamping bar being offset at the ends of said central portion in a direction away from the main bar opposite to the curvature of said central portion and then returned toward and into opposed clamping relation to the ends of the main bar, whereby the central portions of said main bar and said clamping bar mutually reenforce each other, said longitudinal edge portions are reenforced against bending outwardly and the end portions of said clamping bar have a maximum of resiliency and strength with a small amount of material.

2. A soft collar clasp, comprising a main bar formed of a sheet of metal bent to provide a front wall, side walls, a back wall and end walls, the edges of the sheet meeting in said back wall, and a spring clamping bar in cont-act with the back of the front wall of said main bar, the longitudinal edge portions of the sheet intermediate their ends overlying the central portion of said clamping bar to secure the clamping bar on the main bar and having notches forming openings through which project the end portions of the clamping bar, the rear wall and front wall of the main bar being in divergent spaced relation to each other outwardly from the ends of said central portion of the clamping bar and the extremities of said clamping bar being arranged in opposed clamping relationto the end portions of the main bar, whereby'the central portions of said main bar and said clamping bar mutually reenforce each other and the end portions of the main bar are substantially rigid.

WARREN R. LARTER. 

